Prevention in Schools and New Risks on the Drug Market: Government Responds to Synthetic Cannabinoids and Kratom

The Czech government is placing greater emphasis on addiction prevention and the illegal drug market. The focus is on structural deficits in schools as well as the growing spread of synthetic cannabinoids and kratom.

The Government Council for the Coordination of Addiction Policy addressed two key issues at its latest meeting: strengthening addiction prevention in schools and recent developments on the illegal market for psychoactive substances. Both areas are to be incorporated into the new action plan for the years 2026 to 2028.

Under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, the government stressed the importance of securing long-term funding for prevention measures, as well as improving the regulation of both legal and illegal substances. The aim is to effectively protect children and young people in particular.

Despite a generally well-developed system, addiction prevention continues to face structural challenges in practice. These include insufficient and unstable funding models, a lack of uniform quality standards for prevention programmes, and significant regional disparities in provision. School prevention coordinators play a key role, but often work alongside their regular teaching duties and without sufficient support.

Foto: Freepik

The government therefore plans to anchor the prevention system more firmly in legislation, strengthen the role of school-based specialists, and restructure programme quality assurance. The long-term stabilisation of national prevention instruments is also on the agenda.

In addition to prevention, the illegal drug market was also a focus of the discussions. Of particular concern is the increasing spread of synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, as well as the sale of kratom outside regulated structures. Although stricter rules for so-called psychomodulatory substances have been in force since the beginning of 2026, aimed in particular at restricting access for minors, part of the market continues to operate in a grey area.

The situation surrounding synthetic cannabinoids is considered especially alarming, as they largely evade control. Authorities are recording a rising number of acute poisoning cases and health complications linked to these substances.

To counter this, cooperation between the police and supervisory authorities is to be intensified. The Czech police will coordinate nationwide inspection operations targeting the illegal trade in kratom and synthetic cannabinoids. At the same time, the relevant government department is working on closer coordination between the institutions involved, as well as potential legislative adjustments.

The new action plan, which is due to be submitted to the government in June, will focus not only on prevention and market regulation, but also on expanding and improving addiction treatment services. The aim is to provide a comprehensive response to the evolving challenges in addiction policy.